Head to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto to take a stroll down the Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche. A mural of an eighteenth-century Parisian street scene by artist John Pugh spans a large wall on a side walkway in the shopping center.

Cocola Bakery

In the mood for a French pastry and a cup of espresso? You don’t need to go far. Across from the mural is Cocola Bakery, a high-end patisserie with a nice selection of tasty cakes, tarts, and pastries.

A short stroll from the mural on the main walkway find La Baguette, a charming French-inspired boulangerie and patisserie. Join the long line to order handmade artisan bread, croissants, pastries, cakes, soups, sandwiches, along with a hot cup of coffee, tea or espresso.

La Baguette

Did you notice the fun Parisian-style doors in the mural and the artwork near the doors at the patisseries? My favorite door is the one in the mural with the woman peering out to the street.

The artist does a nice job tricking the eye. I had to look hard to tell if the doors in the mural were real or not. The mural adds a bit of whimsy to an otherwise mundane passageway in the shopping center.